District attorney's office
Afternoon
Laurel was doing some paper work when someone walked up to her desk. She looked up and could not contain the startled gasp that left her mouth.
"Hey." Diggle said awkwardly as he stood in front of her.
"Hey," Laurel said wearily as she eyed her former teammate, "It's been a while."
"Yeah. Listen, I need to get in contact with Oliver." Diggle said and Laurel stared at him incredulously.
"Somehow, I don't think Ollie is gonna want to speak with you," Laurel deadpanned, "And even if he was, I'm not exactly speaking to him myself right now."
"Laurel, you know I wouldn't be here, asking you to put me in touch with him, if I had any other choice. It's important." Diggle said urgently and Laurel sighed.
"I'll see what I can do." Laurel finally said reluctantly.
"Thank you Laurel." Diggle said gratefully as he turned around and exited the room.
League hideout
Night
Oliver was taking a drink, thinking over the last time he had talked to Tatsu and Ray. What had led to having him go back and forth between Star City and Nanda Parbat.
League hideout, several weeks ago
Night
"Okay, so this Rip Hunter has recruited you to take down Vandal Savage?" Oliver asked as he stood in front of Ray and Tatsu.
"That about sums it up, yeah." Ray nodded.
"And what do you know about him?" Oliver inquired.
"Truly nothing." Tatsu admitted.
"And yet you trust him?" Oliver inquired.
"Well, I'm as trusting as you are cynical." Ray joked and Oliver gave him an unamused look.
"I'm cynical because it keeps me and those I care about alive." Oliver pointed out.
"I died once, in the same way the world thought you did," Ray said after a moment, "the world didn't care. My life didn't matter. Rip is giving me a chance to make it matter. I have to take that chance."
"I see," Oliver said before looking over at Tatsu, "and you?"
"Ever since Akio died…I have been adrift, looking for purpose. I tried to find it when you recruited me, but I still feel…empty. Perhaps this will help me find a purpose." Tatsu explained and Oliver nodded.
"Well, I can't stop you from going. But if you go, keep an eye on Hunter. Something about this just feels…off." Oliver told them.
Now
Oliver was broken out of his musing when his phone rang. Pulling it out, he frowned when he saw the name flashing across the screen. After a moment of indecisiveness, he answered.
"I gotta say Laurel, after our last conversation, I didn't expect to hear from you again." Oliver admitted.
"This isn't a social call. John reached out to me this afternoon." Laurel said and Oliver tensed.
"What did he want?" Oliver demanded.
"He wants to talk with you. I know you don't trust him anymore and neither do I, but it sounded urgent." Laurel told him and Oliver was silent as he considered this news.
"Okay." Oliver finally said after a moment.
Star City, next day
Morning
"This is where Oliver set up shop?" Diggle asked as Laurel led him inside.
"Not exactly," Laurel said and Diggle looked over at her confused, "This was where Merlyn was operating out of last year. Ollie and his team used this as their base when they first came back before Thea joined up with them and they left for a bigger base."
"Yeah, I almost forgot Oliver is working with Slade Wilson and Helena Bertinelli." Diggle scoffed.
"Well, they've proven themselves more trustworthy than you," Oliver said as he stepped into the light and Diggle tensed, "Laurel, would you give us the room?"
"You two aren't gonna kill each other, are you?" Laurel asked bluntly as she looked back and forth between them.
"I think we can manage to behave ourselves enough to have a conversation." Oliver assured her dryly, his lips uplifting in the beginning of a smirk.
Laurel watched them for a minute before turning and walking out, leaving them alone.
"So, what is it you wanted to talk about John?" Oliver demanded bluntly.
"The other night, Lyla and I were attacked on date night when we were approached by an Argus agent. The people who attacked us took him and left us there on the street." Diggle explained and Oliver frowned.
"Did the operative say anything to you?" Oliver inquired.
"Argus has been compromised. Lyla and I talked with Waller, which we did. She discreetly handed Lyla this," Diggle pulled out a flash drive and handed it to Oliver, who looked at it curiously, "Oliver, I know we have our issues, but I need your help to stop whoever is doing this."
"Guys," the pair looked over as Laurel walked back in, hanging up her phone, "my dad just called. Ollie, he wants you to get down to the station. There's a body in them morgue that he wants you to take a look at."
Star City Police Department, Morgue
Afternoon
"So, you three are all speaking to each other again?" Quentin asked as he led the trio into the morgue.
"What do you have Captain?" Oliver asked, changing the subject and Quentin was only too happy to comply.
"Some of my guys got a call last night. A body was found, multiple lacerations, contusions, and blunt force trauma. But that's not the worst part of it." Quentin said as he pulled out the drawer.
"That's Chang, the operative from last night." Diggle told them.
"Well, whoever did this to him took there sweet time torturing him, he's got at least three pulled finger nails. And the worst part." Quentin said as he pulled off the sheet, revealing that Chang was missing an eyeball.
"Looks like Information wasn't what they were after." Diggle said grimly.
"We need to see what's on this flash drive. So what do you say John, one last time?" Oliver asked and Diggle nodded.
"One last time." Diggle echoed.
League hideout
Night
"Is this really necessary?" Diggle complained as Oliver and Laurel led him inside, due to the fact that he was wearing a blind fold.
"Can't be too careful." Oliver told him.
They led him over to the elevator and Oliver pushed the button. The doors opened up and the three stepped inside. As the doors closed, Oliver removed the blindfold around Diggle's eyes.
"John, if we're going to work together, we need to keep our egos in check. All of us." Oliver said sternly and Diggle nodded.
"I'll behave myself if your team does." Diggle assured him.
The doors opened up and the trio stepped off. Waiting for them were Oliver's team, who all eyed Diggle with suspicion.
"Roy, Thea." Diggle greeted politely as he saw his former teammates.
"Dig." Roy greeted neutrally as Thea simply nodded, not taking her eyes off him.
"So, would you like to explain what is going on here?" Slade inquired.
"Long story short, Argus has been compromised. An operative was picked off the street after coming to John and Lyla for help. Captain Lance called us to the morgue where we found his body, minus an eyeball." Oliver explained.
"They looked military," Diggle picked up where Oliver left off, "they're organized and efficient, experts at this."
"We're all going to be working together on this, so speak up now if you have a problem with that," Oliver said and waited but was met with silence as he pulled out the flash drive, "good. Waller gave Lyla this flash drive. I've looked at it already. There's a logo on this with a symbol I've seen before, belonging to an organization called Shadowspire. We have a history."
"What kind of history?" Helena inquired and Oliver shrugged.
"My fourth year away I tangled with them, killed their leader. That sort of thing." Oliver said nonchalantly and Slade chuckled.
"So the usual then." Slade said amused.
"According to Lyla, Chang, the operative found dead, took them down three years ago when they were exposed as war profiteers. Two more operatives are missing; we need to find them before they end up like Chang." Laurel explained.
"I have history with Shadowspire," Diggle added as they all looked over at him, "I ran into a lot of those guys back in the 'Stan. So did my brother."
"You think Andy might have a connection to them." Oliver noted and Diggle nodded.
"I'd like to talk to him Oliver." Diggle said and Oliver nodded.
"This way. Oliver said, starting to walk off and Diggle followed after him.
"So, didn't expect to see you here after the last time." Thea noted and Laurel squirmed under their gazes.
"I needed some time." Laurel told them.
"And has time changed your perspective?" Nyssa inquired.
Laurel had no answer as she remembered the last time she was here.
League hideout, several weeks ago
Night
"I'm sorry, what?" Oliver asked as he and Nyssa stared at Laurel.
"I want you to bring my sister back to life," Laurel repeated, "Thea told me about the waters, how they healed her and Nyssa. You can use them to bring Sara back to life."
"I'm sorry, but I can't. More than that, I won't." Oliver said gently and Laurel seemed to reel back, clearly not expecting that.
"Why not?" Laurel demanded, shock quickly giving way to anger.
"The pit was designed to work on the living, not the dead," Oliver explained.
"It's why I didn't ask my father to use the pit on Sara after she fell Laurel." Nyssa added.
"Laurel, do you remember how, before Thea took her trip out of Star City, she was unusually aggressive?" Oliver asked and Laurel's widened as she got what he was imply. "That was the pit Laurel. It made her crave killing. I took her out of town to get a cure. We're watching Nyssa carefully to make sure she isn't suffering the same side effects. And they were both alive Laurel. There's no telling what the pit would do to Sara. I loved her to, and it is because I loved her that I refuse to subject her to that."
Now
"I told you everything I know." Andy said, not turning to look as Oliver entered.
"Well, I'm not the one who has questions." Oliver said as Diggle walked in.
"John?" Andy said stunned as he saw his brother.
"How many evil organizations are you associated with? Hive, Shadowspire, are you secretly part of a religious cult to?!" Diggle demanded angrily.
"What are you talking about?" Andy demanded.
"Your old Army buddies are in Star City. They tortured and killed an Argus agent and abducted two others!" Diggle snarled.
"I don't have anything to do with them anymore." Andy told him.
"You'll have to excuse us if we don't believe you." Oliver deadpanned.
"After I got discharged, they cut ties. They only want enlisted men." Andy explained and Diggle turned away.
"How the hell could I not see this!? You were with me the entire time!" Diggle snarled as he turned back around to face Andy.
"Because you saw what you wanted to see! Look, you wanted to believe that the army had straightened me out. Look, I'm your brother, but I'm not built like you! I didn't take to the army like you did. You saw the world as something to be fixed; I just saw it as broken. But I made sure I had enough to survive it." Andy said and Diggle snarled, taking a step forward but Oliver held an arm out, stopping him.
"Take a walk John, cool down." Oliver told him lowly.
Diggle glared at his brother for a moment before turning around and storming out. Oliver lowered his arm as he stared at Andy with disgust.
"You are a disgrace," Oliver said after a moment, "your brother has his faults, but at least he has honor. He has integrity. Two things you clearly lack. But perhaps you can be useful."
"Oh really?" Andy raised an eyebrow.
"You know how Shadowspire operates, that gives us an advantage. So, do I need to open up this cage again or will you simply tell me what I want to know?" Oliver demanded.
"If they're consistent, they'll use the nearest Freeport as a base of operations," Andy said quickly, none too eager to be tortured again, "the best place to hide illicit things is right next to legitimate ones."
"You better be telling the truth. Otherwise, I'm gonna let you see why people call my brother Deathstroke." Oliver whispered menacingly and Andy paled as Oliver walked out.
Star City
Later
"On site." Roy said as he and Speedy stood at their vantage points.
"On site." Nyssa and Black Canary repeated from theirs.
"As are we." Deathstroke said from his and Huntress' vantage point.
"Unusual amount of security for a low-end Freeport." Diggle pointed out as he and Oliver stood at theirs.
"Motion sensors, laser trip wires, digital locks. It would come in real handy right now if Ray was still here." Oliver grumbled.
"So what's the plan Oliver?" Roy inquired as they all waited for Oliver's orders.
"Slade, you know that thing we've been working on? Might be a good time to test it." Oliver said and Deathstroke chuckled.
"On it kid. Everyone, stand back." Deathstroke ordered.
Everyone took a step back as Deathstroke pulled out a small ball and tossed it over to the building. After a moment, it went off; sending out an energy wave and the security seemed to go offline.
"Whoa, what was that?" Black Canary asked surprised.
"Miniature EMP. It'll only last for a few minutes, so let's move out." Oliver ordered.
They entered the building from their respective vantage points. Deathstroke entered a room and saw two men standing by a container. Deathstroke pulled out his sword and rushed them. Before they could even draw their guns, Deathstroke made quick, diagonal cuts along their chests and they dropped dead.
"Aw, I love watching you work baby." Helena quipped and Slade smirked under his helmet as he opened the container.
"Nothing over here." Deathstroke said over the comms, finding the container empty.
"There's a container over here, but it's got a lock." Roy said as he and Thea walked up to it.
"Okay, Laurel, Nyssa, head over there. Laurel, see if your scream will short circuit it. The rest of us will take care of Shadowspire." Oliver ordered.
As Oliver finished speaking, two men came around the corner. Diggle quickly raised his gun and opened fire at them, causing them to retreat.
"Like old times isn't it?" Diggle said dryly and Oliver nodded as he notched a bow.
Black Canary let out her sonic scream and the lock sparked but didn't move.
"Okay, let's try this way then." Oliver said as he notched a bow and fired.
The arrow hit the lock and exploded. Roy then walked up to it and grabbed it. The explosion had loosened it enough so that I could be moved. Then they opened the container and saw the dead Argus agents.
"We're too late; the Argus agents are dead Oliver." Nyssa said grimly.
"Get out of here; we'll catch up with you." Oliver ordered as he and Diggle walked through a hallway, Diggle slightly ahead of him.
Suddenly, a metal door came down, separating Diggle and Oliver. Well, the power was back up, Oliver thought as he notched an arrow. He fired it at the door and it exploded, creating a giant hole in the door. Oliver fired as he walked out and saw Diggle at a standstill. Oliver then grabbed Diggle and got him out of there.
League hideout
Later
"Well, that was a bust." Diggle said grimly as they all walked back into the living area.
"Yeah, it really was. All that for nothing." Laurel sighed as she sat down on the couch.
"I think it's time we have a chat with Amanda John." Oliver told Diggle and Diggle shook his head.
"She clams up every time Lyla and I try." Diggle disagreed and Oliver smiled grimly.
"She'll talk to me." Oliver promised.
Argus base
Later
The lights went out in Waller's office and she looked up as Oliver and Diggle walked in.
"Amanda, we need to talk." Oliver growled.
Sorry, but come on, how could I not stop it there?
So, I had Tatsu take Sara's place because I realized that, aside from being part of the League, I realized I didn't know what else to do with her. And this seemed the better option than scrambling to find a way to include her all the time.